And Then You See Her
by LemonStar
Summary: ..Seth/Kate.. She frowns at herself for the thought, the logical side of her brain telling the illogical side that she's an idiot, and yet, she can't help but feel a bit relieved when Seth says something to Vanessa in parting before coming towards her and their car.


**My first time writing this pairing and I have fallen in love.**

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The logical side of Kate's brain tells her that there is no reason to be jealous. Absolutely no reason. People might look at her while she's standing next to Seth and think that perhaps she is just a little bit too young for him, but they have no idea just how _old_ she feels. It's impossible to go through everything she has gone through – and survived and lived to tell the tales – and not feel as old as she does some days; like she's just ready to sit in a rocking chair on a front porch somewhere and drink iced tea all day and not do anything else.

And that's not even mentioning that she and Seth are practically soulmates. Actually proven soulmates. He literally shared his blood with her, binding them together, and just like she's been through too much, so have they both – together.

They haven't talked about it. Kate thinks that maybe they don't have to. It's pretty obvious to her that he loves her whether he says it or not. They don't have rings or exchange vows, but he's the first guy she's slept with - and she knows the last - and every new motel they go to, Seth gets them one room with one bed and when he registers with their newest fake name, they are always Mr. and Mrs. something or other.

That's the logical side of Kate's brain.

The _illogical_ side, however, is an entirely different story.

Because this is Seth's ex-wife and of course, she's tall and gorgeous and has legs for days and if Kate hasn't seen as much and done as much as she has, one look from the ex-wife would absolutely terrify her.

They stop for gas at some station on some back road in Texas because the needle is getting dangerously close to "E" and chances are, they wouldn't pass another gas station for some time and by then, they'd be out of gas and stranded and wouldn't have any cell reception and Seth would be muttering about stupid phones and coverage and what was the point of having a phone if it didn't work when you needed it to?

Kate takes the opportunity to pee and hurries inside while Seth stays outside at the pump.

"Get me some Pringles!" He calls after her and Kate nods, letting him know that she's heard.

She doesn't even notice the woman already in the station, talking with the store clerk, holding a map out and talking to him in an over-dramatized southern accent. Kate picks up on it immediately when she hears it – like someone who is trying to pretend they're from somewhere they're actually not but wants everyone to think so – but isn't sure why and she doesn't think about it further as she gratefully relieves herself. She has peed along too many nameless roads, behind too many cactus, for her liking.

She lets out a sigh when she steps out of the bathroom again, feeling empty and much better. The woman is still at the counter and Kate heads towards the aisles, looking for Seth's Pringles and something for her to snack on, too. Once she decides on sour gummy worms for herself and has the can of Pringles, she heads towards the refrigerator cases lining the back wall, grabbing a bottle of Coke and a bottle of water.

She turns to go pay and the woman is now standing at the front windows, looking out and whatever she sees, it makes her frown. Kate glances out, curiously, wondering what the woman is looking at, but all Kate sees is the car at the other pump that she assumes belongs to the woman and Seth standing at their car, still filling up.

And then, as if the woman senses her coming, she spins around and looks directly at Kate. Her eyes narrow slightly and Kate stops in her tracks, wondering what she did to have a complete stranger look at her like that. Is she… no, it's way too bright outside for her to be.

Despite everything, still, deep inside, she's her daddy's polite daughter and Kate manages to give the woman a small smile, thinking that she's just being mistaken for someone else.

"Are you with Seth?" The woman then asks, nearly demanding, and Kate nearly drops everything in her arms because that's all it takes for her to know exactly who this is.

Seth has mentioned Vanessa a couple of times – just in passing though and Kate has never pried because Seth has told her that none of it matters to him anymore. It never mattered. They were together, but it wasn't good – not like it was between him and Kate and Kate knows that that's all she really needs Seth to say about it.

But still, seeing the ex-wife, the _beautiful_ ex-wife, in her tight black dress and heels, Kate suddenly feels every bit the nineteen-year-old _girl_ that she is. She's wearing jeans and boots pulled up her calves and a plaid shirt with her hair down and wind-whipped from having her window down as Seth drove.

She tries her hardest not to look nervous though because she knows that Vanessa will probably get immense pleasure out of it, but trying and doing are two different things.

Past Vanessa, she sees Seth leave the car and come towards the station. He doesn't even look at the other woman as he enters and walks right past her to come up to Kate.

"Hey. You all set?" He asks, pulling his wallet out.

Kate looks up into his face and she doesn't have to say anything for Seth to know that something is wrong. He tenses and she knows he's about to grab the gun he keeps tucked in the back of his pants when he's out of the car, but as his arm begins to move, Kate reaches out and wraps her fingers around it, stopping him from doing so. His brow furrows a little, confused, and he looks at her. That's just one more thing they had perfected with one another in all of their time together. They can speak to one another with just their eyes.

Kate wonders if it's because of him giving her his blood or if it's just because they have been together this long. She sometimes wonders if their parents had been able to talk with one another without exchanging a single word.

Seth slowly turns his head and looks over his shoulder and Kate can feel him freeze when his eyes see Vanessa for the first time. Vanessa crosses her arms over her chest, emphasizing the chest that Kate definitely doesn't have, and she lifts her eyebrow at him. Seth looks at her for another passing breath before turning his head back towards Kate.

"I'll pay for this. You mind waiting for me in the car?" He asks though Kate knows that he's not really asking, but Kate doesn't mind because she has a feeling she's not going to want to be around here to hear what they're going to say to one another.

She manages to give him a smile. "Sure." She turns and sets their snacks down on the counter – the station clerk watching the whole scene unfold in front of them as if his favorite television show has just come off the screen for his viewing pleasure – and then turns back towards Seth.

He leans down and gives her a kiss and Kate doesn't think – not even for a moment – that he's doing it because Vanessa's here, watching them. It's something Seth does now. He doesn't even think about it and it seems almost like a reflex most of the time. He kisses her before a job. After a job. He even kissed her once in the middle of a job, standing on the bank floor; just a quick peck, but one that made her blush nonetheless because even with guns in their hands, it was sweet and made her heart do a little flip.

Kate gives him another smile and she then walks past him and past Vanessa, pretending she doesn't feel the way Vanessa is glaring at her backside. If only Vanessa knew what she could do, Kate thinks to herself as she steps back out into the heavy afternoon with the sun relentlessly beating down; not a cloud anywhere in the sky to try and give a little reprieve.

Kate sits in the front passenger seat and waits and does her best to not glance towards the station, but of course she does because how can she not? Vanessa is yelling. That much is obvious. Seth is paying for their snacks and seems to only speak when absolutely necessary. Kate wishes she could hear what they are saying and yet, she knows she really doesn't want to.

Seth steps out a moment later, their snacks in his arms, Vanessa right on his heels, and for one absolutely terrifying moment, Kate gets this mental image of Seth coming towards her, dropping the snacks into her lap before getting into Vanessa's car and driving away with her.

She frowns at herself for the thought, the logical side of her brain telling the illogical side that she's an idiot, and yet, she can't help but feel a bit relieved when Seth says something to Vanessa in parting before coming towards her and their car.

He slides in behind the wheel and leans over, dropping their snacks into her lap and then pulling his gun out and slipping it beneath his seat where he always keeps it. Kate doesn't say anything; just looks at him and waits for him to say something first. She won't ask him what he said unless he brings the subject up himself.

If there is something she has to know, he'll tell her. There are no secrets between them.

"Of all the gas stations in all the world, right?" Seth says to her with a little smirk and Kate feels a soft laugh bubbling in her throat. Seth leans over and gives her another kiss. "Ready?" He then asks, still keeping his face close to hers.

Kate doesn't hesitate. "Ready," she answers with a smile and a nod and only when she does that does Seth lean back and settle himself in his seat.

Through the windshield, Kate sees Vanessa speed away in her car, a cloud of dust kicking up under her squealing tires.

And as she speeds off, heading west, Seth pulls away from the gas station, turning east.

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 **Thank you very much for reading! I hope you liked it!**


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